Men’s Experiences with Fatherhood in Heterosexual Relationships: A Narrative Analysis

The restructuring of gender identities and shifting social expectations of fathers have resulted in increased interest in understanding contemporary discourses about involved fathering. This article contributes to that scholarship by providing a narrative analysis about men’s experiences with fatherhood in heterosexual relationships. Drawing from a photovoice study with 16 fathers, we report three discrete but interrelated narratives. The first narrative Sacrifices in being a provider featured fathers’ diverse alignments to traditional masculinities as well as investments in contemporary involved fathering. The second narrative Balance in caring encompassed fathers’ efforts for adapting to ever-changing parenting responsibilities, and strategies for preserving intimate partnerships and a sense of self amid parenting demands. The final theme, Liberation of contemporary father identities , described participants’ reflexive identity reconstruction of masculinity in experiencing fatherhood. These findings highlight a matrix of modern-day fathering expectations and fathers’ relational practices in navigating shifting gender relations and masculinities.